Towel cabinet



F. G. STEINER TOWEL CABINET April 29, 1930.

Original Filed March l5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l fnl/@7115924 FRA NK G. `STE/NEA? ATV-aleman? pril 29, 1930. F, G, STEINER 1,756,840

TOWEL CABINET Original Filed March l5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ffm/@rz for HG' 3 FRA/vh fff/A/EH 23j/Dip@ @d MM ,47TORNE 715' Patented pr. 29, 1930 FRANK G. STEINER, F CHICAGO, ILLINOS, ASSAGNOR TO STEINER SALES COMPANY OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAI-I, CORPORATION OF UTAH TOWEL CABINET Application led March 15, 1926, Serial No. 94,807. Renewed June 7, 1929.

My invention relates to a class of towel cabinets-comprising an outer normally stationary section and an inner movable section which in this particular application is ,5 vhinged or pivotally supported at the top so that itis adapted to swing outwardly through the open front of the cabinet and allow the convenient stretching of the clean towel web overr the delivery feed roll and ,1.0 the convenient passing of this web upwardly through the rear portion of the stationary section of the cabinet between the swinging secvof Figure 3.

tion and the rear Wall of the stationary section, provision being made for supporting the takeup roll near the top of the swinging section to which the loose web may be easily carried and wound thereon for contact with the takeup vfeed roll. The general structure and arrangement o-f the stationary and swingingseotions corresponds to the cabinet shown and described in a companion application, Case A, filed by me on the 12th day of March, 1926, Serial Number 94,184, witlrthis distinction, however, that instead of pivoting the inner section at the lower forward portion thereof, to swing outwardly from the top I reverse the arrangement, pivoting -the'inner section at the upper rear portion so that the lower part will swing outwardly through the open front of the cabinet and provide ample room in the rear thereof for the stretching of the web of towel to the takeup roll. An inspection of,`

the vdrawings will indicate the inconvenience, if not the practical impossibility, of carrying this web up between the walls ofthe sections or inthe rear of the inner section unless provision be made for temporarily making the space or opening larger so that the operator can conveniently use his hands in stretching the web of towel to the takeup roll.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying partof this specication,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through ar towel cabinet embodying my invention 50 showing the normal position of the sections drawings forming with the loop of clean towel passed over the delivery feed roll;v

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the loop of towel carried up in the rear of the inner section when moved outwardly;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View illustrating the cabinet ready for use;

Figure 4 is a sectional View on the line 4 4 of Figure 3; c

Figure 5 is a detail sectional View show- 60 ing the device for controlling the feed; and Figure 6 is a sectional'view on the line 6 6 1n the drawing, the outer or normally stationary section of the cabinet is shown conc sisting of side walls 2, a topB, and a rear wall 4, The front of this lcabinet is open and is normally closed by a door 5. This section of the cabinet is mounted on the wall or other suitable support a ysutlicient distance from the floor so that the loop of towel depending below the cabinet can be easily reached and used, the inner movable section of the cabinet comprising side walls 6 `and a rear wall 7, the lower portion of which is preferably curved forwardly to form a floor 8 adapted to receive and support a roll or fold ofclean towel 9 that is inserted into the inner section when the door 5 is opened.

' The outer section has its side walls proso vided with blocks 10 havingv slots 11 therein adapted to receivetrunnions 12mounted in thel side wall 6,1these trunnions being preferably in the upper rear portion of the side wall 6 in the rear of the axes of the feed rolls and 85 also in the rear of the normal position of the clean towel roll in the bottom of the inner section so that normally the weight of the feed rolls and the* clean towel will tend to hold the pivoted inner section in its proper position inthe cabinet in contact with the stops in the rear portion thereof. A delivery feed roll 13 is mounted in the upper forward portion of the inner section and has a sanded or roughened surface over which the loose web of clean towel is carried from the clean roll. and from thence downwardly through a gap or passage 14 providedbetween the bottom of theinner section and the lower portion of the cabinet door. Through this gap or opening, the web of clean towel depends below the cabinet and is pulled' by the user. A

corresponding movement inthe opposite direction will be imparted to the roll 15 and the rolls being of substantially the same diameter they will have the same peripheral speed and as the user of the towel pulls down on the clean web and revolves the delivery feed roll, a Corresponding movement will be imparted to the takeup feed roll. A talreup roll 16 is mounted in guidesA 17 in the upper portion ofthe inner section and when the end of the loose web is wound on thetaheup roll 16 and it is in its normal position in the guides, the web will contact by gravity with the talieup feed roll 15 and the talreup roll will be revolved by frictional Contact with the surface of the feed roll so that as the user of the towel withdraws a section of clean web from the cabinet, a corresponding section will be wound on the takeup roll.

A shelf 18 is mounted on the rear wall 4 of the stationary section of the cabinet and adjacent thisshelf I prefer to provide a tension roll or guide 19 in position to receive the web of towel at a point near the upper end of the wall 7 of the inner section, the tension roll operating to .put a slight tension on the web and smooth out any wrinkles or folds therein so that the web will be delivered in flattened form to the takeup roll.V I also prefer to mount a 'tension roll 2O in brackets 21 secured the web of towel.

to the door 5, the roll 2O bearing on the web of towel and tending to draw the `web snugly against the surface ofthe delivery roll and insuring a `sufficient frictional contact to drive the feed roll when a pull is exerted on Suitable stops 22 are provided in the rear of the stationary section to limit the backward swinging movement of the inner section and provide a space of sufficient width between the walls of the sections to allow the convenient movement of the web of towel therein to the takeup roll.

I prefer to ,provide a manually operated locking device 23 in connectionwith the olelivery feed roll 13 and adapted to be tripped by the user to allow one complete revolution of the feed roll, provision being made for automatically locking the feed roll at the end of each revolution. Thislocking device is shown and described in detail in the application of Gottfrid Olson, #76,528, filed December 19, 1925, and I make no claim to the same herein. Y

An examination of Figure 3 shows the cabinet ready for use, the loop of towel depending through thelower forward portion'of the cabinet, the clean portion being carried upwardly at the rear of the cabinet at sucha distance from the forward portion Ithat there is no opportunity for the web of clean towel coming in contact and being infected or contaminated by the soiled portion of the web. The user standing in front of the cabinet and operating the locking levercan Aeasily grasp roll, but the person loading rthe cabinet can very easily, when the inner section is` swung forward, pass the loose end of the web up in the rear lof the forwardly tilted section and `wind the end of this loose web'on the takeup roll preparatory to placing it in itsguides in contact with the takeup feed roll. Whenever desired', the inner section may be lifted entirely clear of and removed from the outer section by raising the inner section and lifting i the ,trunnions clear of theirbearings in the supporting blocks 10, l

I claim as my invention:

1. A towel cabinet comprising relatively movable outer and inner sections having substantially open fronts, a closure member for the rear of the inner section, said inner section being adapted to receive a supply lof, clean towel, a feed roll mounted in said inner section, atake up roll mounted in said inner section adjacent the feed roll, driving meansrbetween said rolls, the relative'movement of said inner and outer Vsections adapting said first named feedroll for convenient stretching of the clean web thereover, and the convenient carrying of the looseend ofthe web up between the inner section and the rear wall of the outer section to said take upfroll.l j

2. A towel cabinet comprisingV an `Vrmter Vnormally stationary section having an opening in its bottom, an open front and av door therefor andan inner section pivotally sup-V ported at its upper endiand adaptedto swing outwardly through the open front of said stationary section to provide an unobstructed space between the corresponding rear por-y tions of said sections, the lower portion of said inner section being adapted to receive a supply of clean towels, a delivery feed'roll mounted in said inner section above the sup ply of clean towel, a take up feed roll having a driving connection with said delivery'feed roll for simultaneous movement, atake up roll for the soiled towel mounted in the upper rear portion of said innersection the con struction being such that a web of towel may be passed from said towel supply over lsaid soi delivery feed roll then below the pivoted section and up through the space between the sections when the pivoted section isswung outwardly to said take up roll. 'i

8. A towel cabinet compris-ing an outer normally stationary section with an opening in its bottom and an inner movable section open at its front and closed at its back, delivery and take up feed rolls mounted in said inner section and intergeared for simultaneous movement, said inner section being adapted to receive a supply of clean towel, a take up roll mounted in said inner section and said inner section being pivotally supported above said take up roll, the construction being such that a web of towel may be passed from said towel supply over said delivery feed roll then below the pivoted section and up through the space between the sections when the pivoted section is swung outwardly to said take up roll.

4C. A towel cabinet comprising` an outer normally stationary section having a rear wall and open bottom and an open front and door therefor having a friction roll on its inner side, an inner-section having a bottom and rear wall and a pivotal support in the upper rear portion of said outer section and I adapted to swing forwardly'to provide an unobstructed space between'the rear walls of said sections, said inner section adapted to receive a supply of clean towel, delivery and take up feed rolls having a driving connection between them mounted in the upper portion of said inner section, a take up roll adjacent said take up feed roll, the. construction being such that a web of towel may be passed from said towel supply over said delivery feed'roll then below the pivoted section and up through the space between the sections when the pivoted section is swung outwardly to said take up roll.

5. A towel cabinet comprising an outer stationary section having an opening in its bottom, an open front and door therefor, an inner section having guide slots therein and trunnions on the upper rear portions thereof, the side walls of said outer section having seats thereon for said trunnions to adapt said inner section for swinging outwardly through the front of the cabinet when the door is opened, said inner section being adapted to receive a supply of clean towel, a delivery feed roll over which a web of clean towel may be carried, a take up feed roll intergeared with said delivery feed roll for corresponding peripheral speed, and a take up roll mounted in said guide slots in said inner section and around which a web of towel may be wound for contact with said take up feed roll, the construction being such that a loop of clean towel may depend from said delivery feed roll below said cabinet and the forward tilting of said inner section may allow convenient passing of a web of towel up throughthe opening in the bottom of the outer section and between the rear walls of said outer and inner sections to said take up roll.

. 6. A towel cabinet having mechanism for feeding clean toweling into position of use and thereafter drawing the used portion of Said toweling into the cabinet, a frame in which said mechanism is mounted, means associated with the cabinet for permitting said frame to be shiftedto forma space between the said mechanism and a wall of said cabinet to facilitate threading a portion of said toweling over parts of said mechanism, a shield separating the soiled and clean portions of said toweling, and means for moving said shield when said frame is shifted.

7. A towel cabinet comprising a casing having a partially open rear and pivoted at the top to allow it to swing outwardly to a position inclined to the Vertical, delivery and takeup feed rolls mounted in said casing and having a driving connection between them and provided with peripheral surfaces adapted to cling to a-towel web, the outward tilting of said casing exposing the partially open rear thereof for the convenient passing upwardly of a web of towel, and a takeup roll whereon the web of towel is wound for driving contact with the surface of said takeup feed roll.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of March, 1926.

FRANK G. STEINER. 

